Adapting
by Gary Oak The Pidgeon
Summary: Link has vanished without a trace, and no one has taken it harder than his best friend Illia. She realizes that she can't keep hopelessly waiting for him to return, so she decides to move on. Leaving Ordon, she moves to Castle Town. She meets someone there who steals her heart, the matriarch of Hyrule, who also seems to return her feelings. But an evil is also lurking, waiting.
1. Chapter 1

"You can't stop me," Illia said to her father. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder, then walked towards the door. "I'm leaving."

"Sweetie, but why?" he asked.

"I can't stay," she said.

He walked in front of her. "But why can't you stay?"

"Ordon has too many memories," she said, which was ironic considering only a few years ago she'd lost her memory.

"I know Link left," her father said, which was true. One day he'd been there and the next he'd been gone, and from the word the villagers had received from all over Hyrule, no one had seen him either. "That doesn't mean you just have to leave."

"I know that," Illia said. "It's my choice to leave." She looked into his eyes. "I want to stay, I really do, but I know that there's nothing here in Ordon for me."

"Can't you at least tell me where you're going?" her father asked, then sadly stepped away from her.

"I'm going to stay with Telma," she said.

"That's the woman who saved you, right?"

Illia nodded. "She was the one I left to visit a few months ago. Sh-she's really nice. Believe me, she'd be glad to have me stay."

"How will you earn money?"

"There are lots of jobs in Hyrule Castle Town, and I'll be sure to find one that I like. Don't worry about that."

"Will you at least come visit us?" She could tell her father was running out of things to say, running out of things to keep her in Ordon longer.

"What made you think I wouldn't come visit you?" Illia asked. "Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I might not come back. I love you, and Ordon is a great place, but I have to leave."

Illia left her home, and once outside got on Epona. It seemed now that Link was gone that the horse was hers.

She waved goodbye to her father, who only stared at her in a stunned, shocked silence.

"Come on girl, let's go!" Illia said. The horse began to run. "Please go faster! I want to reach Hyrule Castle Town by nightfall!"

Illia watched Ordon Village pass by her. She saw the houses of the people she'd known for years, the river, the animals, even Link's house, which stood empty and abandoned.

"Where did you go?" she whispered.

She knew it was good for her to get out, to move on. It wasn't worth waiting for Link to come back, especially since he'd vanished without a trace. If Link were to show up again, he would, but she had other things to worry about.

"I'll find a place for you to stay," Illia said to Epona. "Don't you worry."

Once she entered Hyrule Field, which took her a good half hour or so, her decision finally dawned on her. She'd left her home, one of the only places she ever knew, to start fresh. The idea both excited and scared her.

_I can do it,_ she told herself. _I know I need to do this, and I will do it._

She slowed Epona down slightly, seeing Hyrule Castle Town in the distance. It was best to let Epona relax after all the running she'd done, and Illia knew that in no time at all she'd be in Hyrule Castle Town.

She began to pull a few things out of her light sack: A wallet full of ruppes, some clothes, and a few various items of importance to her.

"I know I can do this," she whispered to herself. "I know I can."

When she arrived at Hyrule Castle Town's entrance gate, she tied Epona up and walked inside. Surrounding her were large crowds of people, all from different parts of the world. Different accents ran through her ears and people with different skin colors, hair, and backgrounds all walked around her. This likely had to do with Princess Zelda's increase in international trade, allowing Hyrule's economy to flourish. It had even helped the small village of Ordon, giving more of its people a larger wallet.

Once she reached Telma's bar, she walked inside. The place was full of customers, and the place had been redesigned. Illia could tell that her friend had gotten a lot of money, and she was glad.

"Illia?" Telma's familiar voice asked.

"Are you busy?" Illia asked sheepishly. "I see that you have a lot of customers."

"It's nothing, darling. Have a seat, would you? Care for a drink?"

Illia shook her head. "I just wanted to ask if I could stay with you for a few days."

"Of course! What would make you think I wouldn't be able to offer a room?"

"I was just making sure, and thank you."

Telma smiled. "You go get ready. I'm closing up shop soon, so I'll see you once I'm done."

Illia nodded, then left the store, off to get to Telma's home.


	2. Chapter 2

Illia's room was small and dusty, but she didn't mind. She opened a window, letting in the last of the setting sun's light. She pulled out her clothes, all light brown and white. It wasn't that she didn't want to try something else out, it was just the colors she was most comfortable wearing. She quickly put them away in the small mahogany dresser by her bed.

Looking into the small mirror near her door, she saw her face. There were bags under her eyes from days of not sleeping, her skin was even paler than usual, and her eyes had lost their sparkle. Her hair was shorter than ever, mostly because she couldn't bother to do much with it.

"I'm home," Telma called from downstairs. "Are you upstairs, Illia?"

Illia opened the door, then yelled down, "Yes, I'm upstairs!"

"Would you mind coming downstairs for a minute?" Telma called. "I'd like to speak with you."

Illia quickly ran downstairs.

"It's great to see you again," Telma said. "I've missed you."

Illia smiled. "I missed you too."

"I just wanted to say that I'd already planned dinner with a few of my friends tonight. Would you be interested in coming? Don't worry, it's not a formal event."

Illia nodded. "Thank you, that'd be great!" She figured if she really wanted to move on then she might as well do this and other things like it. Link's disappearance wasn't going to define her life.

"It's going to be an hour before we have to leave, so feel free to get settled in. Sorry that the place is so messy."

"I don't mind." Illia said. "I'm not picky on places to stay."

An hour later, an hour that flew by for Illia, the two were standing in front of Hyrule Castle.

"That was, uh, a short walk," Illia commented. "So I'm guessing that you're friends with Princess Zelda?"

Telma smirked. "We're close friends, but don't worry, I'm sure you two will get along just fine. She's much more light-spirited than she lets herself show. She's been through a lot, especially after the war with the twili."

Those words seemed strange to Illia. She should know more about the twili, especially since they'd affected her so much, but she felt like a stranger to those words as much as any foreigner visiting Hyrule Castle Town.

The castle was splendid, filled with statues of the golden goddesses, fine purple curtains and rugs, and murals of past scenes. One was of a hero clad in green, one that looked so similar to Link, holding a light blue ocarina.

"Are you alright?" Telma asked. "You're crying."

Illia quickly wiped away her tear. "It's nothing."

They reached the royal dining hall, filled with lit candles, fina china dishes, and the fanciest food Illia had ever seen. Sitting at the chair was Princess Zelda, the beautiful leader of Hyrule. Illia couldn't help but stop and stare at her. She was dressed in a purple and white gown, her dark brow hair neatly braided, a small tiara on her head.

"Telma, you've arrived!" Zelda said. "Shad was placing bets with me that you wouldn't come, but he lost!"

Shad rolled his eyes, then handed the woman a small sack of rupees. "You win this one, Zelda."

Zelda laughed, then handed the sack back to him. "I'm the princess, so I certainly don't need this money. Give this money to the poor who need it, Shad." She turned to face Illia. "I believe we've met before."

Illia looked away nervously from her. "It was shortly after that twili woman, Madna, Morda?"

"Midna," Zelda said. She smiled. "Don't worry, it's okay to forget her name."

Illia breathed a sigh of relief. "It was very short, Princess."

"Please, call me Zelda." She pointed to two empty seats, both close to her. "Please also feel free to sit."

Illia nodded, then sat next to Zelda. "Thank you, Zelda."

Servants brought in plates of steaming food: Meats, vegetables, soups, desserts, food that Illia had never even heard of. She drank fine wine and talked with the people, all finding something happy to say.

"You've really helped make Hyrule prosper," Telma commented. "If it weren't for you then I wouldn't have been able to remodel."

"It's nothing," Zelda said. "I just realized that there was so much money we could earn from trading, so why not trade?"

"You really are wise," Shad commented.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Keep dreaming, Shad."

His face turned as red as the wine.

Ashei laughed. "She really got you, Shad."

Illia took a bite of her dessert, a chocolate pie. The rich taste filled her mouth, and she quickly ate more.

"Enjoying it?" Zelda asked.

Illia nodded.

Zelda smiled, then asked a servant for more. The servant nodded, then left to enter the kitchen.

The Revolution members began discussing issues of Hyrule, and Illia tuned out, focusing more on the fine food in front of her. When more of the delicious chocolate pie came, she thanked the servant, then happily ate it.

"So, Illia," Zelda said.

Illia looked up, then quickly wiped the chocolate off of her lip with a napkin. "Yes, Zelda?"

"Telma's told me that you've moved to Hyrule Castle Town," Zelda said.

Illia nodded. "Yes, the words she speaks are true."

"I've been looking for someone to attend to my library," Zelda said. "The pay's good." It was well known that Zleda paid even the lowliest servants great amounts, believing that just because they did work seen as dirty didn't mean they deserved to fight to keep a living.

"That would be nice," Illia commented. "And I do enjoy books. . ."

"Actually," Telma said. "Do you have a position open in the royal stables?"

"Actually, I do." She turned to face Illia. "Do you like horses?"

Illia thought back to Epona, who was still by the gate to Hyrule Castle Town. "I've always loved horses."

"Then I believe there's a better job for you," Zelda said.

Illia smiled. "Thank you very much, princess."


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of hay filled Illia's nose, and the neighs of horses filled her ears. All around her were horses of every breed and color, all staring intently at her.

"Hello," she said, giving each of them a carrot. "I'll be looking after each of you."

A nearby cinnamon brown horse whinnied. Illia petted its snout.

Epona had recently moved in with the other horses, and seemed to be adjusting quite comfortably.

Illia grabbed a shovel and began to shovel poop, whistling as she worked. She loved the job, even though she'd only had it for a week and a half. One song she whistled was an Ordonian song, and she frowned. To get her mind off of Ordon and back in the present, the present where she was in Hyrule Castle Town, she began to whistle a tune she'd learned from the knights.

After she'd cleaned out the large, smelly stalls, she took each horse outside to run and enjoy the fresh air. The grass was wet from a rainstorm the night before, and the air smelled of spring flowers.

As peaceful as it was, she couldn't help but remember.

"Illia," Link had whispered to her. "So many amazing and strange things happened."

She'd just nodded in reply.

"Doesn't it just seem a little crazy to you? I can hardly believe it myself and I'm the war's hero. I'm amazed at myself."

Illia nodded again, staring down at her sandaled feet.

Link wrapped his arm around her, then lightly squeezed her small hand. "I was so worried about you, and now you're back. Illia, you're my best friend, and it'd kill me if something terrible were to happen to you."

"But something terrible did happen to me, Link." Illia whispered. She looked around at the horses, then at the side of the rebuilt Hyrule Castle. "You vanished, leaving me all alone. Now I have to fend for myself, Link."

That night, all alone under her covers, she thought about her day. Princess Zelda had invited all her workers to dine with her, giving them only the finest food. She'd smiled and happily chatted with them.

"Are you enjoying your work, Illia?" Zelda had asked her.

"I am, Zelda."

Zelda beamed, showing off teeth as white as her skin. "I hoped you would."

Zelda reminded her of Link. Both were kind, brave, and selfless, along with each having their faults. Link would try too hard, and other times he'd blow things off. Zelda tried to be her best, but Illia could see through her facade to the stress underneath. Zelda never let her position go to her head, but she didn't seem to take pride in her accomplishments either.

Illia wondered if maybe she should run away, go to a whole new place, and start her life over again.

But what would she do if something bothered her there? Could she just run away again, hoping that she'd be lucky enough to find a place she was comfortable with, a place that probably didn't exist?

She tossed and turned, trying again and again to sleep. She had to work tomorrow, and she didn't even want to imagine what it would be like if she went to work without having slept.

Illia kept telling herself to just sleep, but she couldn't. Her brain wouldn't listen, and instead flooded her mind with pictures of Link, her father, her friends in Ordon, and Zelda.

Illia pulled her covers over head, closed her eyes, and begged for the darkness to take her from the pain she faced.

It didn't.

* * *

The man with the lilac hair frowned. "What a shame to be free of the sword and have nothing to do. My mind should be swimming with ideas, and yet all I do is sit in my palace and wait. What am I waiting for?" He got up, walking around his large throne room, the sound of his footsteps echoing across the walls.

It had been only four days since he'd broken the seal of the Four Sword, though it felt much longer, and only three since he'd formed the magic to transform himself into his Hylian form.

"All of Hyrule lays unprotected before me," he added, continuing the conversation with himself. "From the rubies I heard, the legendary boy in green is gone." He remembered two other boys in green, along with three matching boys in blue, a violet shaded purple, and red. They'd defeated him, and he vowed to make sure it never happened again. "This is quite good for me."

He sat back down at his throne and began to think. "How will I gain Hyrule for myself?"

That was when the plan dawned on him.

He got his paper, then began to write.

Dearest Princess Zelda,

You perhaps have heard legends of me before, maybe during celebrations or before bed. Being the wise, and not to mention beautiful, princess you are, surely you'd call these stories fairy tales. However, these stories are one hundred percent true, and I have no problem proving them true for you. If you wish for your kingdom to be spared of destruction, and I take no pity on the land of Hyrule, then take my hand in marriage. Doing so, you will spare your kingdom of destruction and save the lives of many.

Signed,

Vaati, Mage of Wind

He smiled at the letter, knowing he wouldn't use it until he was sure it would be needed. All he could do now was watch and wait, learning everything that he could use to his advantage. A war would start, perhaps not the type with swords and arrows, but even so he knew he'd still have to win it.

**Author's Note: Happy holidays!**


	4. Chapter 4

"_Illia," Link said._

"_What?" Illia asked, looking away from the setting sun to her friend. The two were twelve at the time._

"_Have you ever thought of leaving Ordon?"_

"_Why?" Illia asked. "I like Ordon."_

"_I'm just wondering," he said. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life herding goats. What's the point in that? They're just goats, useless, boring goats."_

"_Hey, goats make milk, which makes cheese! And goat milk is delicious. Besides goat herding, what else would you do anyway?"_

_Link shrugged. "There's a world of opportunities."_

"_And what if you don't like that as much as herding goats?"_

_Link rolled his eyes. "Yep, herding goats is such an exciting thing. I see your point now, Illia. Besides, do you really want to run for mayor?" It was expected that Illia would try to go after her father and convince the people to allow her to be mayor. She wouldn't mind the job, but it wasn't what she dreamed of being. It'd likely be a boring job, and a position she'd have to figh desperatelyt to keep._

"_There are worse jobs," Illia said. "And if they find someone else to be mayor then I can always care for the horses."_

"_What if the horses get tired of you?" Link laughed. "They might find someone they like more, like me."_

_Illia scowled. "I still can't believe Epona actually likes you considering how fast you ride her. You completely disregard how she feels!"_

"_She's just a horse. You don't have to get so worked up about her."_

* * *

"Uh," Illia asked. "What exactly is that?" She pointed at the round, light yellow thing, with dark spots covering most of it.

"It's a cake," Telma said. "I haven't tried making one before, but you know what they say, there's a first time for everything."

Illia cut a slice for herself, then quickly frosted it. She took a bite, then had to force herself to not spit it out. "Don't try selling it at the bar."

"Is it really that bad?" Telma asked, then took a bite. "Oh."

Illia took the cake from her, a few crumbs falling to the floor. "Would you like me to get rid of it for you?"

"Where would you put it?"

"There are some cats in Hyrule Castle Town that would absolutely love this. Believe me, they would."

Telma laughed. "Feel free to take it. I've got to get rid of it somehow, anyway. You're right, Illia, it _is_ terrible!"

Illia laughed. "I'm headed to work."

"Have a good day," Telma said. "If you see Zelda, tell her that I said hi."

Illia nodded, then left. Outside, the air was cool, but she knew that soon it would warm. Around her, children were running, holding toys of various sizes. A few older people walked around at a casual pace, a few of them whistling. The tune carried around the small neighborhood, and Illia joined along.

Once she found the band of hungry cats, which she had given spare food to before, she placed the cake in front of them. The group of cats happily dug in, and once they finished, which was in seconds, they all rubbed against Illia's legs. She scratched the back of their ears and petted the fur on their backs.

"I'm glad at least you liked it," Illia said. "If I can, I'll bring you more food after work today."

The cats all looked up at her happily, then meowed. She knew they'd be expecting her to keep up her end of the bargain.

Once she got to Hyrule Castle, she smiled at the guards, who let her in. She said hi to them, but none responded.

The horse stable smelled terrible, and Illia immediately got to work. Despite her weak appearance, she had actually spent years shoveling animal poop. After years of work, it only took her a short time to finish up her work. Once she had, she wiped the sweat off her forehead, then let the horses out.

"Did you miss me?" she asked the whinnying horses. She stroked a few of the horses muzzles. "I really hope you all did."

* * *

Princess Zelda sat reading in the Hyrule Castle library, her nose buried in a red leather-bound book. She didn't notice Illia standing over her.

"Zelda?" Illia asked weakly.

"Oh!" the princess said, then looked up. She put the book down, her face covered in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Illia! That was so rude of me!"

Illia laughed. "If you'd come to see me with the horses then you'd probably have to say my name for me to notice you, too."

"So, what are you doing here?" Zelda smiled, patting a spot for Illia to sit down at.

"I just dropped by to send you a message," Illia said, sitting down on the comfortable seat.

"Who is the message from?"

"Telma."

"And what is the message?"

"She told me to say that she says hello."

Zelda laughed. "That's definitely something Telma would do."

Illia breathed in the smell of old books, and closed her eyes. She sat close next to the princess, and she could feel her warm body, hear steady her breathing. For a moment Illia was all alone, in a place where she didn't have to worry about her father, her new job, Epona, Telma, Zelda, or even Link. In this place none of them existed, and it was a peaceful place. The Twilight War had never happened, Illia had never been taken by the king of the boblokins, and she'd never lost her memory. She was just Illia, and it felt like she was the only person who knew this.

"Would you like any suggested reading material?" the princess asked, breaking the spell around Illia. She wasn't just Illia anymore, but instead one of the many people in the royal library.

Illia nodded. "I'm sure you've got good taste in reading materials."

Zelda laughed, then got up and walked to a nearby bookshelf of hardcover books, then grabbed one with a somewhat cracked spine, its outside yellow in color. She handed it to Illia. "I'm sure you'll love it."

"What's it about?" Illia asked, taking the book from Zelda. The cover was worn away, so she knew Zelda must recognize it quite well if she'd known the exact book from tons of others.

"Let's just say you'll like it," Zelda said. "I think it's good to just blindly go into some books and see where they take you. You should try it with this."

Illia opened it.

_The Words of a Hero_

_Written by Anonymous_

"Zelda," Illia said. "Why did you recommend this to me? It seems like something more for. . ." Illia paused, her throat seemingly unable to get the word out. "Well, for Link."

"You haven't even read anything but the title yet." Zelda crossed her arms. "Believe me, this explains a lot about being a hero."

"I will read it then, princess." Illia still didn't know why the princess had given it to her, but she decided she might as well read it.

When she got home, after stopping for a short time to give small amounts of meat she'd gotten from the castle cooks to the stray cats, she walked to her room and sat in bed. She covered herself with her blanket, then began reading.

_I will not reveal who I am, but I will reveal one thing: I am not the hero of time. He is widely seen as a hero, which is good, because he is one, but he is not the very definition of a hero. We all have faults, and to say that he didn't have faults would've been a pure lie._

_Heroes are ordinary people, and what they do may not even seem heroic to them at the time; perhaps they never even realize what they did was heroic and live their lives wondering if they can ever do something that they think will improve their lives, make them worth remembering. Is that worse than being prideful about their hero status? If only there was a way to tell them that they are a hero, but it is impossible._

Illia closed the book and sighed. She'd heard Zelda was interested in many forms of knowledge: mathematics, studying the Golden Goddesses, history, the geography of Hyrule and other lands, medicine, and economics. This was by far one of her strangest interests. Illia knew quite well that she wasn't a hero, she was just the forgotten friend of one.

She put the book away, then went downstairs and began to prepare Telma dinner, which would be a happy surprise for her. Telma would hug her, thank her for helping her when she was already so busy, and take a happy taste-test, maybe a few other bites.

Illia began to prepare soup, mixing in vegetables and meat. She began to whistle, then opened a window to let in some cool air. She stirred the soup around, then took a taste test, which caused her to decide it needed some spices to add extra flavor.

Telma opened the door. "Sorry I'm late, I really didn't mean for this to happen, but I got busy." Telma was shocked. "You made me dinner? Oh thank you, Illia! You're such a darling." She hugged the small girl, filling Illia's nose with her flowery perfume.

"It was nothing," Illia said. "I just figured you'd be tired after working all day."

"Well you must be tired too."

Illia continued to stir the soup. "I don't mind, Telma. You deserve it for keeping me around."

"That's right," Telma said. "You are quite a bit of trouble." Telma winked. "So, how long until the soup's ready?"

"It shouldn't be long," Illia said. She hadn't realized how long she'd been working on it. "I know it's hot outside and my soup isn't much cooler, but it was all I could think of making."

"I don't mind a bit. I'm sure you've got a secret ingredient, something that'll make it a hundred percent delicious."

Illia laughed, then took another taste test. "Get a bowl," she said to Telma. "I think it's warm enough now." Zelda was pleasantly surprised that Telma hadn't had a taste-test, which was quite out of character.

The two ate, each talking about their day.

"Zelda recommended you a book?" Telma took another spoonful of soup. "She's recommended me some strange things."

Illia laughed. "I guess you had about as good of a recommendation as I did, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe it! She thinks she knows so much about people, but then she gets us the strangest books. The only person she seems to get things right for is Shad, but I think he might just be pretending she gets him the right book."

"Why would you think that?" Illia thought back to the man with glases at the dining room of Hyrule Castle, the one who had made bets against Princess Zelda and lost.

"He thinks he's right for her." Telma laughed. "He thinks because they have similar tastes that they'll somehow get together. For someone who had studied so much, he sure is an idiot. Zelda is far from interested."

"Who is she interested in?" The face of the princess appeared in her mind, a face she couldn't say was anything other than beautiful. Most likely everyone went after, both for her looks and to also get a position of power.

"I honestly don't know." Telma finished her soup. "She's quite secretive about that type of thing."

"Oh," Illia said.

"Why are you interested?" Telma raised her left eyebrow.

"I was just curious, that's all."

"She isn't interested in marrying, and I can't blame her. Ugh, half of the men in this town are chauvinist pigs. She hasn't shown interest in men, or anyone, and it doesn't matter; Zelda can easily rule by herself. It's almost funny how many men go after her to be king, and she rejects them within seconds. They'd be more likely to make Princess Agitha their king then Princess Zelda."

"Princess Agitha?" Illia couldn't remember seeing any other princesses in the castle, and she'd heard Zelda was the only surviving member of the royal family.

"That's just someone in Hyrule Castle Town," Telma said. "Agitha is actually a sweet, albeit odd, girl. Maybe you should meet her sometime."

"I will," Illia said.

"So you like it here?" Telma asked.

Illia thought back to her life in Ordon. "I can't say I know what I was going to expect, but yes, I like it."

* * *

**Author's Note: Okay, I tried making this a longer chapter. I kind of want to point out something: Hyrule is commonly portrayed as a transphobic, homophobic, and misogynistic place. There is no canonical proof that it is any of these things. There's about as much proof that Hyrule is patriarchal as there is proof that Hyrule takes place on Mars. In this fanfiction, Hyrule is a society that realizes the value of equality. It actually doesn't change the story that much, I was just pointing that fact out.**


	5. Chapter 5

It was a bright, warm day when Ilia returned to Ordon for a visit. The goats were out eating grass, and children were out playing. They all ran up to her once they saw her ride up on Epona, their faces filled with joy.

"Ilia!" they cried. "We've missed you!"

"I missed you too," she said, ruffling the kids' hair. "I thought I'd drop by for a quick visit and see how everyone was doing." She had been avoiding it because she knew it'd hurt to return, but she knew she couldn't also keep blowing off coming to see her family. Princess Zelda had rewarded her hard work with a few days off, so she thought she'd spend the first of her four at Ordon Village, checking up on everyone.

"Ilia!" cried her father, who ran up to her like the children had, then hugged her tightly. "You finally got around to seeing your old man, didn't you? We've really missed you. So, did you come to steal the position as mayor from me? You're going to have to fight me for that!"

Ilia laughed, then shook her head. "No, that's the last thing I'd want to do. I just came to drop by and see how everyone was doing."

"We're doing great," her father said, releasing her. His eyes sparkled. "We just haven't been doing amazing since you left." Behind his happy voice he hid the fact that he was begging her to come back.

"No!" she desperately wanted to say, no, scream at the top of her lungs so everyone would be forced to hear her no matter how much they didn't want to. "There's nothing for me to come back to."

"You're just in time for lunch," said her father, who pulled her towards her former house. She shuddered, realizing that soon the _real_ begging would start, and with Ilia's luck it'd end in full scale crying. The sight of her father crying like a baby would be both heartbreaking and pathetic, and she could already hear him yelling at her about how much he needed her to come back, how desperately she needed to come back for him.

And just as expected, it happened. There was no lunch in sight, and she clenched her fists tightly, realizing that had been one of his newest, and worst excuses.

"Ilia," her father said, motioning towards a chair. "How's Hyrule Castle Town?"

Ilia smiled. "It's quite nice, and even better than I expected."

"That's good," her father said, though he sounded as though he hadn't listened to a word she'd said. He put his hands together, took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I need you to come back to Ordon."

Ilia sighed mentally, but decided to see if he had the very shard of a good argument. "And the reason is?" She didn't hide the displeasure in her voice.

"Don't sound so angry," he said, then smiled weakly. "I just need you to come back because of important reasons."

"And those reasons are?"

The question hung unanswered in the air for a few seconds before her father answered, "I'm getting old and I need someone to stay with me."

"Then hire someone," Ilia said.

"I don't have the money."

Ilia laughed. "The economy's quite improved since Princess Zelda started fixing it up; we aren't the dirt poor people we used to be. You can afford a caregiver easily now."

Her father sighed. "I'm not the only person who needs you."

Ilia groaned mentally. _My Farore,_ she thought. _Now he's going to bring in the villagers to side with his lame excuse._

"The children miss you," he said. "And the farm owners have so much manure. . . that needs to be picked up."

"I love the kids and all," Ilia said, "but I know they've faced harder things. They can adjust to me being gone. Besides, Hyrule Castle Town has enough shit, excuse my language, that needs to be picked up. They might be in trouble if I were to just grab my bags and leave."

"But we were in trouble when you dropped your bags and left," her father defended.

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Ilia responded. "I'm happy in Hyrule Castle Town and I'm staying there!" She banged her fists against the table. "I know it's been hard on you since Mom died, but you can stop acting as though I have to make up for her death by acting like her, especially when I didn't even cause her death." Ilia was shaking in anger. "I'm happy in Hyrule Castle Town, finally my mind's off Link being gone, but you can't accept that, can you? No, I've got to come back to stupid Ordon so you can be happy! And do you know what will happen if I come back to Ordon? I'll lose contact with some of my closest friends and I'll be constantly reminded of one that I might never see again! But you'd be happy about that, wouldn't you? And all because you can't face the fact that there's more I want than living in this stupid place!"

She stormed out, got on Epona where her bags were still saddled onto, and rode away, her teeth clenched together. She didn't listen to her father's yells, the ones that were now growing fainter and fainter the farther she got away from him. She didn't care anymore about his excuses and she wasn't going to let him waste her precious time on his excuses any longer. She had time off from work and she actually wanted to enjoy it.

* * *

Vaati finished up his book on the subject of recent Hyrule, then pondered over it. He'd never heard of the twili, a people which now interested him greatly, but he knew that they'd likely been greatly weakened after the war. It would be no use trying to use them like Ganondorf had. Besides, he had other ways to get Hyrule.

He smirked, imagining the country his. He could almost taste the rich, five-course dinners he'd be eating every day, the wealth he'd be rolling in, and the beautiful princess Zelda, much prettier than the past few princesses named Zelda he'd also seen. who'd be his bride.

"If only I could invade now," he thought, thinking back to his fantasy. Still, he knew it was much wiser to wait and see if the hero somehow came back. Though he doubted it, he still knew that he'd have to wait for the perfect opportunity to invade. Getting forced back inside the sword again would be nothing short of a living nightmare, which it certainly had been.

* * *

"Hello," Ilia said. "I was told by Telma that I'd probably like to see you."

"Hello!" said the blond pig-tailed girl. She was dressed in a light blue dress, with pink butterfly wings on the back. "My name is Princess Agitha, but I'll let you call me Agitha. Telma is quite a loyal subject of mine." Agitha giggled, then curtsied. "Welcome to my kingdom. Have any bugs to show me?"

Ilia nodded, then pulled out a thin piece of paper, which covered a deceased butterfly she'd found on the way to Hyrule Castle Town, which had caused her to remember what Telma had said about the little girl.

When Agitha saw it, she beamed. "It certainly isn't the rarest, but it's still fine! Even if it isn't golden."

The butterfly's wings were a light blue color with dark purple spots on it. Agitha held it gently in her hand, then pulled an orange rupee out of her pocket, one Ilia hadn't noticed.

"Oh my," Ilia said. "I can't accept this, but thank you."

Agitha pouted. "I'm the princess, and I say my subject should take this gift from me. You definitely earned it."

Ilia took it, then bowed. "In that case, thank you very much, Your Highness."

Agitha laughed. "You may rise."

Ilia did, then put the rupee in her wallet. "I'm glad I saw that while I was riding through Hyrule Field."

"Me too," the princess said. "Now, would you like some tea? It's about time for it, and you seem like a person worth inviting."

Ilia nodded. "After the day I had, I think this would be perfect."

The two sat at a small, brown, round wooded table. The tea was rather sweet, and the cookies were also. Ilia liked the cookies more, and she helped herself to a few.

"Are you enjoying it?" Agitha asked.

Ilia nodded. "Of course." She wiped a few crumbs off of her lips with a pink cloth napkin, small butterflies embroidered on the side of it. "Thank you so much for inviting me."

"It was nothing," Agitha replied. "I hope you become a usual."

"I'll try, but I'm busy working for Princess Zelda most of the time."

"Who needs her? You can work for an even better princess, me!"

Ilia laughed. "I would, but she's depending on me. I promise I'll at least drop by regularly, alright?"

The girl beamed. "Thank you. I've just been so lonely since so few people actually come nowadays. I used to have this regular, a boy named Link, who always brought me bugs."

Ilia's stomach clenched. "I have to go."

"Why?" Agitha asked.

"Something important," was all Ilia said, then ran out, trying to forget the last thing she'd heard. Farore, Link was everywhere! Why was it so hard to go somewhere and not be reminded of her missing, and likely dead, friend?

Later that night, as Ilia tried to fall asleep, she heard a conversation between Telma and the familiar voice of Princess Agitha.

"She just ran out after I mentioned Link," Agitha said. "Do you know why?"

"She didn't do it to hurt you," Telma said, "but Link was one of her closest friends, and now he's disappeared. She's having a hard time coping with that fact."

"Oh," Agitha said. "I hope she understands that I'm very sorry for her."

"I'll tell her," Telma said. "As much as she tries to hide it, I can tell that this is really hard on her."

Ilia buried her head in her pillow, then wished that the walls weren't so thin. Even when she was trying to sleep she had to be reminded that Link existed.

Right now she just wished she'd never met him.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelda took a sip of her tea, then bit into the white biscuit. "Ilia," she said, then took another sip. "I invited you here for a reason."

"What?" Ilia asked, hoping the princess wasn't disgusted by the hay covering Ilia's clothing. She hadn't had time to wipe it off because she'd been told to hurry to the princess, who wanted to see her. Her voice was slightly nervous, and she hoped that it didn't show.

"You are one of the best workers I have," Zelda stated, "and that says a lot because the people who work here do quite fine jobs. You were so much better than the last person who helped with the horses, no disrespect to her though, and she died a few months ago due to illness. It was a shame to lose her." The princess looked genuinely sad, and Ilia understood why so many people respected her. She didn't simply say that she was sad her workers died, she was sad about their death. "Since then people have on and off been helping with the horses, but many have little experience. I'm raising your earnings."

"Thank you!" Ilia said.

Zelda smiled. "And I was wondering if you'd join me to dinner tomorrow. You seem like a remarkable young woman, and I'd like to get to know you better."

Ilia was amazed, and a huge smile burst out across her face. "I'd love to, Zelda!"

Zelda smiled, then cocked her head to the side. "Tomorrow at seven then."

* * *

"A real princess would invite you to dinner tonight and not tomorrow." Princess Agitha said, taking a bite of her yellow cake. "I keep telling you, Ilia, you should work for me instead."

Ilia rolled her eyes, then bit into her roll. "I like you, but I do enjoy the lovely Zelda very much."

"I am quite lovely myself!" Agitha pouted and crossed her arms. "Worthless peasant." She stamped her foot on the hard floor, the sound echoing throughout the room.

Ilia laughed. "I thought I was your favorite subject."

Agitha's face turned red. "Keep this up and you'll be the lowest subject in Hyrule."

"Fine, I am sorry your Highness."

Agitha stood up straighter. "Of course you should be!" Her voice softened. "I heard about what happened, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad, Ilia. I wouldn't ever do that to you on purpose."

"I know you wouldn't. Agitha, I know you're not that kind of person, and I know that you knew him too."

Maybe Ilia was just seeing things, but she thought she saw Agitha frown, and a sort of sadness appear in her eyes.

* * *

Zelda and Ilia raised their wineglasses together, clinked them, and then both took long sips. The bitter liquid flowed down Ilia's throat, and she quickly stopped. It just wasn't her thing.

"We're having traditional Labrynna meals tonight," Zelda said. "I've always loved Labrynnian food, and I hope to travel there someday if I ever get the chance."

Ilia took a bite of the dark brown meat. "This is delicious!" She took another bite. "Princess, I understand exactly why you'd like to go if all of their food is like this."

"Eat as much as you'd like," Zelda said. She bit into an orange vegetable that Ilia didn't know the name of. "We have quite a lot to go around. So, tell me a bit about yourself if you don't mind."

"I'm Ilia," Ilia said. "You didn't know that, did you?"

The princess laughed. "No, I never did."

"I grew up in Ordon with my father and my horse Epona; my mother died before I was old enough to remember her, but I know that my father dearly loved her and that I remind him of her. Link and I were close friends for most of our lives, and we got along well with others, but we were best together. He was a hero, but he was also a funny guy with a great personality, one who said he'd get a record for fastest time to herd goats." Memories ran through Ilia's mind, many of which she hadn't remembered until now. Link was Link, her Link, not the boy who saved Hyrule. It seemed almost hard to imagine that they were the same person; Link would have never been considered a hero before.

"Were you two ever romantically involved with each other?"

Ilia shook her head. "I wanted to ask him about how he saw me, but I never had the time to. The Twilight War came, I lost my memory, got it back, and then he continued his journey to save Hyrule. I saw him a little after that, but soon after he vanished." She didn't mention that she wished that they had been together. It would have been nice, and it would've made Ilia's personal dreams come true. It was probably too late now.

"Can you tell me more about yourself?"

"I just did."

"No, you talked about Link. Does your life revolve around him."

Ilia knew she should cry, but she was numb. She hung her head in shame, staring down at her meat, then wished she could just stuff it in her mouth and never speak to the princess again. "Sometimes I think so, and I think it might be true. It just proves how pathetic I am."

* * *

Zelda sat reading in her room when she heard a knock on her door. She called for them to come in, then put in her bookmark, closed the book, and turned to face the person who had just come inside. The man who came in was tall, thin, with high cheekbones, and pale-skinned. Her red hair hung freely behind her back, and her brown eyes looked red. "Princess, I was just out walking in Hyrule Castle town when-when-" She couldn't finish her own sentence.

"What happened?"

It took the woman a few minutes to recover, but when she did, she said, "I found his body in Hyrule Field, covered in blood, his clothes torn. I had no doubt in my mind that he was dead."

"Who?"

"The hero!" She woman began to cry again. "I don't know what happened to him, but the hero was lying dead in Hyrule field, his items coming out of his pouch and littering the ground. The sight was horrific, and it was like I was looking at a whole different person. How could the hero of Hyrule, even after being missing for so long, just be dead in Hyrule Field?"

Zelda felt sick and had no idea what to say. She had a few royal attendants take care of the woman, then sat down on the edge of her bed. The dread and sadness inside her never left her, and it became worse the next day when she saw Ilia working with the horses. She seemed so happy, and Zelda knew that this news would devastate her.

Ilia ran up to her, a large smile covering her face. She grabbed Zelda's hands, and Zelda quickly plastered on a smile. "Hello, Ilia. How are you doing today?"

"Absolutely amazing! I took your advice and decided that I really should try to stop making my life revolve around Link. I'd try to before but could hardly do it, but you really encouraged me." She squeezed Zelda's hands gently. "Thank for helping me! You're a great friend."

_Friend,_ Ilia considered her a friend. Zelda's face turned red, and she felt happier than she'd been in a long time. Oh Naryu, she couldn't possibly tell Ilia now, not well she was so happy. She couldn't send her friend into a depression. No, this would be a secret among top officials of Hyrule, nothing to concern the common people, let alone Ilia, about.

* * *

Vaati hadn't realized how impatient he actually was when he killed the hero. The boy had been older, but he bore a sickening resemblance to the past hero in green. Vaati had grabbed him and cut his throat and arms without a second thought, then left him to die in Hyrule Field. The hero hadn't expected it, going in the direction of Hyrule Castle Town. It was pure coincidence that he was out walking when Vaati had decided to leave his castle to further investigate Hyrule, but it was one that had sent the hero to his untimely death, but one Vaati was sure that the bastard deserved.

"I want to invade Hyrule," he said. "But I can't do it like this." He smiled. "Why take Hyrule when I could have it easily handed over to me?" He laughed. "I don't need to threaten Zelda when I can make her beg me to take it!"

He went back to Hyrule Field, seeing that the body was gone. "Shame," he said. "I wanted to keep it as a prize, but I'll manage. Still, it would've been a nice decoration to my palace, much different from the regular expensive oil painting. How I'd love to hang the damned hero on my wall as a sign to his ancestors that they never should've done what they did to me; they'd be forced to watch me hang his body and they'd never be able to do anything about it. In the end, I am superior, and they are simply dead."


End file.
